


Glittering Red and Green

by Fangirlshrewt97



Category: Leverage
Genre: Bonding, Comfort, Eliot Spencer's Cooking, Eliot helping Parker, Family Bonding, Fluff, Gen, Glitter, Nail Polish, Pre-OT3, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:28:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28309017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirlshrewt97/pseuds/Fangirlshrewt97
Summary: Parker has a question. Eliot tries to answer it. There is nail polish involved. Mostly, this is just 2k of pure fluff.----“What’s the point of nail polish?”Eliot cursed at the sudden appearance of Parker in his kitchen, nearly throwing the knife he was holding at her. The thief was quick on her feet though and dodged it so it ended up lodged in the wall behind her instead.“Parker! How many times have I told you never to startle me? Especially when I am holding knives?”“You told me I could come see you when I had questions. And I even used the front door this time.”
Relationships: Alec Hardison/Parker, Parker & Eliot Spencer (Leverage)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 98





	Glittering Red and Green

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LoverofMidnight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoverofMidnight/gifts).



> Dear Reader,
> 
> This is a small gift for my friend LoverofMidnight, who I have had some fun fandom conversations with this year!   
> I really liked how this turned out, and I hope you do too. If you do, please let me know with kudos/comments (which can include keyboard smashes, one word comments, or favorite lines!). All mistakes are mine, this is not beta-read.
> 
> Thanks and happy holidays, as well as best wishes for a good 2021!  
> Fangirlshrewt97

“What’s the point of nail polish?”

Eliot cursed at the sudden appearance of Parker in his kitchen, nearly throwing the knife he was holding at her. The thief was quick on her feet though and dodged it so it ended up lodged in the wall behind her instead.

“Parker! How many times have I told you never to startle me? Especially when I am holding knives?”

“You told me I could come see you when I had questions. And I even used the front door this time.” Parker complained, pointing towards the living room.

Eliot felt his face twitch, but controlled himself. He had made that promise. Turning back to the stove, he set the flame to simmer, and washed his hands. He tilted his head at Parker, gesturing for her to take a seat at his dining table as he went and retrieved the knife from the wall.

He washed the knife thoroughly as Parker found a comfortable position to sit which ended up with her on the table and her feet on the chair.

At Eliot’s glare, Parker lifted her chin in defiance.

“What’s the point of nail polish?” she asked again.

Eliot growled but turned back to the stew he had, adding in the garlic he had been chopping before leaving the pot to simmer. He moved to sit at the empty chair, wiping his hands on his apron. He nudged her to sit in the opposite chair. Parker pouted but moved to the empty seat.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“I was with Sophie at a mall, and there was a sale at a cosmetics shop for nail polish. She already has so much make-up, and nail polish. Why does she want more?” Parker huffed as she put her hands into her hoodie. “She asked me if I wanted to get new nail polish. I don’t get why so many people are obsessed with it. What is the point of it?”

Eliot sighed again. He had meant it when he had told Parker that he could come to him when she had any questions about stuff like this, because he knew that Sophie wouldn’t always have the patience to deal with her. “Well, Parker, I am not the expert, but you know how I like to cook? And Hardison has his online games that he plays? With the like magical elves or something?”

“I think they are orcs.” Parker said, brows furrowing.

Eliot waved her off, “Not the point. The point of nail polish is like why I make food, or Hardison wears all those stupid slogan t-shirts and plays those games.”

At Parker’s confused look, he expanded, “They are a way of telling people something about yourself, something about the kind of person you are.”

“So Sophie wears them to tell people about herself.” Parker said.

Eliot tilted his head slightly. “Not exactly. For Sophie, nail polish is a way to relax. You know how she has to play all these different people for cons right?”

Parker nodded.

“Well, she usually doesn’t get to just be herself. When she is wearing nail polish, it is something she is doing for herself, for her real self.” he emphasized.

Parker leaned back on the chair, looking thoughtful.

“Did that answer your question?” Eliot asked.

Parker took her hands out her her pockets, holding them in front of her. “Should I wear nail polish?”

Eliot shook his head. “You don’t need to do anything. If you want to, you can. But there is no ‘should’ about it. It is just something to play with.”

“Peggy invited Alice to go shopping with her tomorrow.” Parker said.

Eliot blinked at the sudden topic shift, but replied. “Ok… are you going?”

Parker shrugged.

Eliot bit the inside of his cheek as he tapped the table, “Do you want to go?”

“She wants Alice to go with her.” Parker said.

“Parker…” Eliot said gently, “You are Alice.”

“Do you think Alice wears nail polish?” Parker asked suddenly, looking up at him with that intense stare of hers.

Eliot swallowed. “Do you think Alice wears nail polish?”

Parker frowned, mouth twisting a little before hesitantly nodding her head, like she was scared of giving the wrong answer. “I think so.”

Eliot gave her a small smile. “Then I think Alice wears nail polish too.”

Parker returned with a small smile of her own.

“Do you want to stay for dinner? There is enough chilli for both of us.” Eliot offered.

Parker nodded.

“Ok. Sit tight, it’ll be done in fifteen minutes.”

///

Eliot had dismissed the incident once Parker had left, figuring that was it. And it had been, especially with a last minute job that had popped up. Luckily things had worked out without too much trouble, and they had managed to wrap things up within a day and a half. Eliot had even been spared the need to hit anyone.

So he was at home, making a list of everything he needed to buy for the Christmas dinner that he had promised the team when there was a jingle at the door. Eliot tensed for a second before the door opened to admit a nervous looking Parker. The expression on her face only made Eliot tenser, mind running through the possibilities when he found a small paper bag in his face, a festive holly decorating the candy cane pattern.

Eliot growled as he swiped the bag from Parker’s hands, annoyed but staying silent. He tracked how Parker sat quietly next to him, hands pressed together, and if possible, she was wound up tighter than he was.

“What is this?”

“Peggy told me I should get it.” was the clipped answer.

Eliot blinked again before taking a deep breath to recenter himself. He placed the notepad and pen he had been holding on the coffee table before keeping Parker’s bag in his lap. Reaching into the tissue paper, he pulled out several glass bottles of nail polish and acetone. There was also a small bottle of glitter he left in the bag.

The conversation from before came rushing back.

“You got yourself nail polish.”

“Peggy said they would look good on Alice.”

Eliot hummed, inspecting the different colors Parker had bought.

“Ok. Why did you bring them to me?” he asked.

Parker squirmed in her seat for a moment before looking him dead in the eye. “I don’t know how to put on nail polish.”

Ah. Eliot wasn’t surprised, why would Parker have ever had to learn, but still…”I’ve seen you wear it a couple times on jobs though?”

“Sophie put it for me.”

“And the reason you didn’t ask her this time?”

“It isn’t for a job.”

Eliot smiled privately. Looks like someone was starting to accept that she was allowed to have a ‘civilian’ life too.

“And you think I know?” Eliot asked, amused.

Parker just glared at him, making him snort.

“You haven’t asked me anything Parker.” Eliot said. He knew he was being a little mean, but he needed her to ask for what she wanted properly, so that she could the same when dealing with people outside their team.

“Eliot. Will you please put the nail polish on me?” Parker said, only slightly clenching her jaw.

This time, Eliot smiled at her properly, placing the bottles on the table. “Yes. Now wait here, I just need a couple things.”

Parker made a confused noise, but stayed while Eliot went searching for the supplies.

Soon enough he was back with some cotton balls, a bowl of warm water, a nail file, a bottle of hand lotion, and a hand towel.

“So, what color do you want?” Eliot asked as he took Parker’s right hand placed it on the towel on top of his knee.

Parker hummed thoughtfully before speaking. “Green and red.”

“Alright.” Eliot said before taking the nail file.

The two were comfortable with the silence that filled the flat as Eliot filed, cleaned and then painted Parker’s nails. As he began each step, Eliot explained what he was doing and why.

Parker for her part, let her hands get relaxed, but Eliot could note the tension still coiling in her spine. As he finished the first coat, alternating the red and green paints, he squeezed her wrist.

“Parker.”

She looked at him, eyes still wary.

“If you don’t want to do this, there is acetone in the bag. I can just remove it, and we can just give the bottles away.”

“That’s not…” Parker started before biting her lip. She stared at her hand in his before trying again. “I want the nail polish.”

“Okay.” Eliot said, waiting.

“It’s just so normal.”

“Is that a problem?” he asked.

“No… yes… I don’t know.” Parker said.

Eliot just sat patiently.

“I am not normal. I don’t feel like I should wear nail polish.” she said finally.

Eliot didn’t reply for a minute, trying to parse her logic, before replying. “Do you remember our last conversation?”

Parker nodded.

“Nail polish is not just for normal people Parker. There is no such thing as normal people. Just a majority. If you want to wear nail polish, you should wear it.”

Parker shifted her gaze back to her hand, wiggling her fingers. She took a deep breath and exhaled, relaxing back into the couch. “Ok.”

Eliot smiled. “Good. Give me your other hand, we need to wait for this one to dry.”

By the time they had finished the two coats, Parker was smiling and retelling her day to Eliot, who hummed at the right places.

Before placing the top-coat, he remembered the glitter polish in the bag. “Hey Parker, do you want the glitter?”

Parker’s eyes lit up. “Can I?”

Eliot squeeze her wrist. “Of course you can.”

He retrieved the glitter bottle and started applying it to Parker.

When they finally finished, Parker happily wiggled her ten fingers in front of her. The light from the apartment made the glitter shine brightly, which in turn made Parker giggle.

Eliot shook his head at his friend’s amusement as he cleaned up the bottles and supplies. He placed the bottles back in the bag.

“Ok, now go Parker. I have a lot of shopping to do if I am to cook for you all tomorrow.”

He held out the bag for her to take but she shook her head.

“You keep it. I will come when I want a change.” Parker said, still admiring her nails. Eliot refused the blush at the trust the statement showed.

Parker stood up and turned to leave, only to turn back at the last moment and threw her arms around him.

Eliot took a step back at the sudden weight but regained his balance quickly.

“Thank you Eliot.”

Eliot smiled fondly, gently placing his hands at her sides, pressing them slightly. “Anytime Parker.”

She pulled back, looking him in the eyes, her own twinkling with joy even as her smile faded to a small one. “Do you think Hardison will like it?”

Eliot felt his eyes crinkle as he let out a laugh. “Yes he will.”

A faint blush blossomed on Parker’s cheeks, and she ducked her head.

She turned to go, throwing a “Bye Eliot! Merry Christmas!” over her shoulder as the door swung shut behind her.

Eliot sighed fondly as he looked at the bag of nail polish he was still holding.

“Merry Christmas Parker.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys liked the story.   
> If you want to chat, you can find me at fangirlshrewt97.tumblr.com!


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